Russian ambassador to Ireland insists his country 'is no threat' to us
Exclusive: Yury Filatov also pleaded with Irish people not to go and fight for Ukraine
Vladimir Putin’s man in Dublin today insists that Ireland has nothing to fear from Russia.
"There is not a single reason to believe that Russia somehow is a threat to Ireland," Ambassador Yury Filatov says in an exclusive interview with The Irish Mirror.
He also accused successive Irish governments of having an aggressive anti-Russian policy – over our response to its illegal and bloody invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
And he urged Irish people not to volunteer to fight for Ukraine, saying: "They are making a probably fatal mistake."
Mr Filatov, 67, spoke to us after it emerged that Ireland is set to spend up to an extra €2 billion in the coming years to increase its defence capabilities – amid fears of an increased threat from Russia to Ireland and the rest of western Europe.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Harris have both in recent days said that Ireland needs to significantly increase its spending on defence.
That includes extra Naval Service resources to patrol and protect vital undersea cables in Irish waters – which are seen as vulnerable to attack by Russia.
Countries across Europe have experienced multiple cyber and infrastructure attacks that are suspected to have been the work of Russian actors.
The Russian Embassy in Dublin.But, speaking at his country’s embassy in south Dublin, Mr Filatov insisted Russia posed no threat to Ireland.
He told us: "It has never been, and it’s not."
He claimed that allegations of his country posing a threat were just being spread all over Europe to foster anti-Russian sentiments.
He said: "The Russian threat is a false premise.
"And I don’t think there is, again, any particular realistic reason to suggest that Ireland is somehow threatened by Russia.
"The premise again is this term Russian aggression means that Russia is somehow threatening the whole of Europe.
"I categorically reject that."
And he said that although Ireland is a military neutral state – it is not politically neutral.
He said: "I don’t think Ireland, under the circumstances, is politically neutral.
"It places itself decidedly within the western club of nations, specifically the European Union, which has adopted an aggressive anti-Russian policy over recent years.
"And we see Ireland, as the Irish government, as part of that anti-Russian effort."
Irish Mirror Crime and Defence Editor Michael O'Toole interviewing Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yury Filatov in the Embassy on Orwell Road, Rathgar Dublin 14..Mr Filatov also said it was up to Ireland to decide if it should continue to be militarily neutral - but those decisions cannot be based on what he branded as false claims that Russia was a threat to us.
He said: "I understand that the issue of neutrality is a very hot political topic in Ireland, and I wouldn’t want to interfere with this domestic policy matter.
"It’s a matter for the people and government of Ireland to decide. Whatever you decide is okay.
"The issue of Irish military neutrality, defence issues, these are things which are the sovereign domain of Ireland – an exclusively national sovereignty issue.
"A decision on this is the sovereign right of the Irish people and the Irish government.
"My point of view is the only suggestion or advice I could make: make your own decisions, whatever they are, but please don’t base them on false premises.
"Okay, defend please. We don’t have any say on that."
We then asked him if he accepted that Ireland had decided to increase defence spending over fears of Russia aggression.
"I would suggest that the Irish government is decidedly unfriendly, by its policies, towards Russia," he said.
"The Irish government, this one and previous ones, they have supported anti-Russian sanctions by the European Union.
"The Irish government has been taking part in the EU programmes of military assistance to the Kyiv regime, although non-lethal – it doesn’t matter.
"They have been doing whatever they can do to politically, diplomatically, counteract Russia.
"I even wouldn’t mention the, in some cases unacceptable, public rhetoric against Russia.
"Overall, unfriendly would be an understatement, if you take all that into account."
When asked if he was annoyed at the Irish government, he replied: "Diplomacy and policy, it’s not an emotional business.
"We don’t deal with emotions.
"We deal with facts, specific policies, specific interest, specific analysis.
"Certainly when someone purposefully uses vulgar, rude rhetoric we take it into account."
But when asked to provide examples of that, he replied: "I don’t want to provide you with this kind of stuff. You can see it every other day."
Meanwhile, it’s believed as many as 100 Irishmen have joined the Ukrainian Army to fight the Russian invaders and several have lost their lives – including former Army Ranger Wing operator Robert Deegan, 29, killed in September last year.
Robert Deegan, 29, a former member of the Army Ranger Wing who was killed last year fighting Russia in Ukraine.Mr Filatov said: "I am sorry for him, but it is just the harsh truth of life."
And he urged nobody else to head to Ukraine.
He said: "I would advise them not to make this mistake.
"It’s not for me to judge the motives of these people, but I would certainly seriously consider the implications for them and their families.
"Every life is precious, and the loss of life under these circumstances is especially regrettable."
He also agreed Irish people were risking their lives in Ukraine.
He said: "That is what I am talking about. They are making a probably fatal mistake.
"Even worse than that, they would risk their lives for a false cause – that’s the major, major mistake."
Meanwhile, Ambassador Filatov attempted to laugh off credible claims that Russia had an agent of influence active in the Oireachtas.
The Sunday Times revealed late last year that state intelligence services believe a parliamentarian – nicknamed Cobalt – had been recruited as an agent by the Russians.
And we have established that Leo Varadkar was personally briefed about the identity of the alleged spy when he was Taoiseach. Several sources have also confirmed to us that Garda and military intelligence are aware of the parliamentarian’s feared links to Russia.
But Mr Filatov said he knew nothing about Cobalt when we asked him in our interview – before describing it as a "non-story." He said: "I don't have any knowledge of any stuff like that."
It's alleged Russia has an agent in the Oireachtas.He added: "I am not sure whether any Cobalt existed.
"It's just one of the moments when this kind of stuff is leaked to the media to maintain anti-Russian temperature.
"It would have been funny if it weren’t a part of the political process that has been seriously or half seriously, debated, discussed in the Dail - for God’s sake.
"What does it tell you about the level of politics? I don't have any other specific comment on that, because there is nothing to comment. Non story.
"With the only caveat that it's very unfortunate and regrettable that this kind of stuff is being used once and again in the anti-Russian angles."
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